Indo-US relationship yet to reach on auto-pilot mode:Ronen Sen

Even as the landmark Indo-US civilian nuclear deal has opened a new vista of relationship between the two countries, it is yet to reach a certain critical mass where it can acquire a momentum of its own, Indian ambassador to the US Ronen Sen said on Thursday.
 
As the Indian ambassador to the United States since August 2004, Sen has been instrumental in taking the Indo-US relationship to an altogether new level, which could not have been contemplated some five years ago.
 
The two countries, not only inked the historic civilian nuclear agreement, but also the trade between the two nations have doubled, and the US considers now India is a strategic and natural ally.
 
Addressing a meeting of US India Business Council (USIBC) on Indo-US relationship, Sen said both in terms of "symbolism and substance" the historic nuclear deal has been a remarkable achievements. It has opened up vistas, which one could not have had contemplated earlier.

Sen received standing ovation from the US business leaders, who attended the meet, as an acknowledgment to the great contribution he has made to the relationship between the two countries.

Now preparing to leave Washington as India's top diplomat in the US, after nearly five remarkable years, Sen said he can now look forward with confidence in future. But there is still some distance to travel, to put this relationship on an auto-pilot mode, he observed.

"It is not that we have reached a stage, where you can put this relationship on an auto pilot. We need to care, we need to nurture it. It still has to reach a certain critical mass where it can acquire a momentum completely on its own," Sen said.

"This relationship among other things, has acquired certain resilience of its own, because it is not only on the basis of shared ideals, shared values, shared aspirations, but also intersection of interest, common concerns, but also it has been on the basis of mutual respect and benefit," he said.

Since his arrival to Washington some five years ago, Sen said Indo-US trade has more than doubled, the US exports to India has more than trebled. It is not that only the US is investing or creating jobs in India, it is being done by India also, he said.

Even as both countries can now look forward with confidence in future, Sen said there are some challenges that need to be overcome. These challenges, in fact he said are actually opportunities, "as we have discovered".

"We are still on a journey still; we look at new destinations. In the process, we have learnt to reach out to each other. The two countries have passed out the stage of mistrust. We can now reach out to each other," he said.
 
Acknowledging that there are differences between the two countries on a number of issues, Sen said: "But today I do not see any major area where you have difference in terms of long-term objectives."
 
One of the reasons, that the nuclear deal did became possible, Sen said as people realized that "we do share common challenge there. That is the threat of nuclear proliferation."

The ambassador said India is not perceived or seen in a sub regional perspective, but in a broader perspective.
 
"That realization has helped. What you have seen today is the realization and the many of the challenges that India faces -- terrorism or any other issue -- these are no longer regional or sub-regional issues, cause and effect issues, these are global issues, which have to be tackled globally," he added.